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IndyCar: Dallara to name new car after Dan Wheldon

Dan Wheldon was the test driver for IndyCar's 2012 chassis. Dallara has announced that it will name a new car after Wheldon following his death. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Italian race-car maker Dallara said it will name its next generation of Indy car after driver Dan Wheldon, who died on Oct. 16 during the Izod IndyCar Series season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

IndyCar and Dallara earlier this year tapped Wheldon and Bryan Herta Autosport--the team for which he won this year's Indianapolis 500--to lead the new car's development program ahead of its race debut in 2012.

"Dan lives in the memory of everybody at Dallara," company boss Gianpaolo Dallara said. "He has been a true champion, not only because of his many victories, but and above everything else because he has been a true and warm man to all the people he encountered.

"All people at Dallara always enjoyed meeting him in Italy and in the U.S.A. We will honor his memory for the years to come by dedicating the Dallara IndyCar 2012 in his name. He deserves that."

Dallara did not reveal what it will call the car. IndyCar rookie of the year James Hinchliffe on Sunday tweeted that it should be named the DW 001.